The New York Knicks announced on Saturday that Stoudemire needs another operation on his knee and is expected to miss the next six weeks. That timetable would put his return after the end of the regular season.

Stoudemire didn't take part in the Knicks' morning shootaround, and had an MRI later in the day, the findings of which led the team to make its injury announcement.

Stoudemire is having a knee debridement surgery, a procedure to remove dead or damaged tissue or bone in order to heal the injured area. It’s the same procedure he underwent before the season started, which caused him to miss more than two months and 30 games.

The 30-year-old power forward was averaging 14.2 points and 5.0 in 29 games off the bench.

"I feel for the young man because he put so much time and hard work in, but we've got to go on," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said.

It's a major blow for the Knicks, who are fighting the Indiana Pacers for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Before Saturday's games, New York (37-22) trailed Indiana by a half game.

"It's a loss, a major loss, to what we're trying to do, but you know we're going to have to wait on him and continue our climb," Woodson said. "We can't sit and sulk and feel sad and upset about it. It's what it is and guys have got to step up and play."

Stoudemire signed a five-year, $100 million contract with the Knicks in 2010—a deal that's not insured because of concerns over his knees. In his first season with New York, he averaged 25.3 points, then battled a back injury after last season's lockout.

The Knicks were being especially careful since his latest surgery, keeping him on a minutes restriction that started in the low 20s and had recently grown to 30 minutes a night.

And once superstar forward Carmelo Anthony was hurt, the Knicks had no choice but to use Stoudemire right to—and even over—that limit. He played 32 minutes Monday in Cleveland, the game in which Anthony was injured, and went 31 minutes two nights later in a victory over Detroit, tying his season high with 22 points in each game.

He scored 16 points Thursday in a loss to Oklahoma City, playing 29 minutes and even throwing down an impressive dunk over Thunder defensive star Serge Ibaka. So even the Knicks were surprised to learn they would be without him again.

"Not what we expected to hear, that's for sure," forward Steve Novak said. "It was like he was out there getting buckets, dunking on guys a day ago, and he's hurt, so I feel bad for him. I think that the way he was playing, his confidence was high, and you just don't want to see him get hurt again."

The Knicks were also without Anthony on Saturday night. He sat out his third straight game with a sore and stiff right knee.